The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-11-16

Its Williamsr'
A gray-haired woman came forward,
and halfled, half-supported her son
away
The next time O'Grady appeared he
stumbled and fell. as he was relieved Of
his inanimate burden A whisper ran
around
It's Walsh !"
They laid him on the ground.
I A girl stole timidly out from the crowd
and wept over her dead lover. ALI eyes
turned questioningly upon 0Grady, who
was leaning up against box, pale and
shaky, making weak gresture of pro-
test as the swaying of the curious crowd
threatened tc shut off the air from him.
Then he arose, and faltered toward the
mortar box where the hose was playing.
He had loosed the handkerchief from
his mouth and nose, and now united it
with trembling hands
He's going to give it up" some one
said
O'Grady heard the words, and was re-
minded that he had already done
all that could be expected of any man
that if he stopped now, he would still be
a hero in the eyes of those who were
looking on that neither duty nor reason
demanded his return to the poisonous
den from which he had escaped, but he
looked toward the quarter from which
the words had come, and replied with
savage sneer: Not much"
He stopped long enough to take cool,
invigorating draught from the nozzel of
the hose and to saturate the handker-
chief again, before binding it across his
face. He called for another length of
rope and. as he instructed the men 10
his strength was giving out Then he
leaped upon the ladder and descended.
hand over hand, with the swiftness of
one who is aboyt to take a desperate
risk. No one in the pure, wholesome air
above could guess what it was to plunge
into this noisome hole, the reeking re-
pository of filth and corruption, from
which poisonous gases exhaled, blOtting
out the light of day that essayed to creep
through the narrow opening above, max
ing il impossible for so much as the
fame of candle to survive Nor did
OGrady find any comfort in the refiec
ton that he was doing q magnanimous
and gallant deed, risking his life to save
his enemy. To him, Callahan had from
the first lost personality and identity
He was simply felIow-being suffering,
failing, dying.
As 0Grady reached the lower rung of
the ladder and stopped to the foul ooze
below, the horrible vapors seemed to
rise like spectral forms, clutching at him,
gripping his throat, crushing his chest in
vice like embrace. His eyes were
blinded. something roared in his ears like
the thunder of incoming breakers.
Sightless deafened, choking, he groped
about him and found what he sought.
The men above felt faint pull on the
rope 0'Grady had carried in his hands,
and hauled it in with will. A moment
later Callahan, unconscious, but with his
chest heaving in slow, convulsive move
ments, lay stretched upon the ground
beside them. Everybody looked TO see
0Grady's resolute face and broad shout
ders appear at the opening. Cheers were
on their lips, praise in their hearts.
Somebody pulled gently upon the rope
he had tied about his waist when he
first went down. Heavy, inanimate
weight was the only response Two of
the workmen swung themselves down
the ladder until their heads and shoul-
ders were visible. and gripping the rope
brought the heavy burden into position
to be rasied
Now, boys,"
Slowly and more carefully than before
they pulled uponthe rope. When Norah
O'Grady saw the lifeless form she sprang
Ati " Aih WIN 81 AAtatt -
\ week later two canvalescents sat up
in bed. and demanded to be dressed.
Bridget Callahan hastened to obey her
husbands behest with a willing heart
and trembling hands Norah O'Grady
scolded and expo stulated. but to no
effect OGrady stormed and gore. and
went angrily off without breakfast, put
ting in his appearance at the police court
a full ten minutes before his antagon-
ist.
He had actually got in a savage plea
of Guilty, an it plase x"ur isunor
when the plaintiff ap ,etred on the scene.
The two men met for the first time since
the day Callahan had been drawn back
from the jaws of frightful death by his
enemy O'Grady would not look toward
him now, but repeated his plea, rather
more loudly and decidedly than be-
fore;
Guilty. your honor"
Callahan held a hasty consultation with
an official of the court.
NolIe prosequi," announced the latter
in careless tone.
Cease dismissed Call the next, said
the Judge
O'Grady had to be twice informed before
he comprehended the turn affairs had
taken Then he left reluctantly, unhap-
py and dissatisfied. The fact that he
had laid his enemy under the heaviest
obligations to himself had only served
to whet his zest in the role Of injured in
nocence, which he had been ready to
enact He had been making ready his
po vers of oratory all the way down town
rehearsing the pedigree of the game
cocks Callahan's dog had slain, counting
his decimated flock of ducks, raking up
score ofold injuries which he meant to
rehearse if an opportunity was presented.
He went ont of court crestfallen. Some /
body awaited him outside the door
"O'Gradyl" said Callahan, in voice
at once eonciliatory. pleading, argument
ative, holding out his hand at the same
time
If O'Grady bad been the man who I
had lain at the bottom of the cesspool 7
and Callahan the man who had saved /
him, he would have struck aside the /
profered hand. But all at once it came /
to him that one who eonfers favor has /
obligations far NOR. binding than those 4